Circuit control mechanism



March 3, 1942. w. w. BETZ CIRCUIT CONTROL MECHANISM Filed April 20, 1938 INVENTOR. V WM fl/fieiz BY ATTORN' Patented Mar. 3, 1942 CIRCUIT CONTROL MECHANISM Weldon W. Betz, Culver City, Calif., assignor of one-third to Cecil Bet'z Davis and one-third to Byron H. Betz Application April 20, 1938, Serial No. 203,072

2 Claims.

My invention relates to circuit control mechanism of the type which can be used for controlling the ringing of door chimes, flashers, and other apparatus where a series of interruptions in the flow of an electric current is desired, that is, to give an intermittent function.

Among the salient objects of my invention are:

To provide a mechanism of the character referred to wherein the closing of a switch, as by pressing a button, operates to set the mechanism to function intermittently, as where door chimes are struck three or four times in one operation;

To provide a mechanism of the character referred to wherein a fluid control operates to retard the return movement of the member which is set for operation by the closing of the switch;

To provide in combination with such a mechanism a series of contacts and a contact member adapted to be moved successively over said contacts in one direction, with means for returning said contact member free and clear of said series of contacts;

To provide in combination with a solenoid and plunger operating therethrough, a flexible or other valve member operating over the opening in the solenoid to open and close said opening as the plunger moves therein from the opposite end, to permit the outflow of the oil or other fluid in which said solenoid and plunger are submerged, while closing it against inflow as the plunger returns after being moved by the energizing of the solenoid;

To provide a simple, practical, economical and eflicient control mechanism of the character referred to which can be used in many places where intermittent functioning of a circuit is used.

In order to explain my invention, I have illustrated one practical embodiment thereof on the accompanying sheet of drawings which I will now describe.

Figure 1 is a front view of a door chimes, with a part broken out to show my invention applied thereto;

Figure 2 is an enlarged plan view of my mechanism with the top removed or cut away;

Figure 3 is a vertical, longitudinal sectional view through Fig. 2, taken on line 33;

Figure 4 is a fragmentary sectional view taken on line 44 of Fig. 2; and

Figure 5 is a diagrammatic or wiring diagram.

Referring now in detail to the drawing, my invention can be applied to door chimes, such as shown in Fig. 1, in which the three chimes or tubes are designated 6, 1 and 8, and suspended to be struck successively in the usual manner, as by means of electromagnets, as indicated in Fig. 5.

My invention as here shown applied to door chimes, consists of a box or case 9, closed and adapted to hold a fluid, as oil, in which the mechanism is submerged, said box having the supporting or connecting feet II], III, for securing it to the top of the chimes case or head, designated II.

Mounted in said box 9 is a solenoid I2, having a tubular plunger I3, moving through the tubular member I2 of said magnet, which tubular member I2 is extended outwardly beyond the end of the coil, as indicated.

Around said plunger I3 is a coiled spring I4, the outer end of which is turnedinwardly and inserted into said plunger, as at I5, while the other end of said spring is soldered or secured to tubular member I 2, as at I6, Fig. 2, and is insulated therefrom.

Said spring I4 operates to withdraw or move said plunger I3 outwardly when the solenoid is deenergized.

Mounted in the outer end of said plunger I3, is a contact pin or finger I1, extended laterally over a block or member I8 of insulating material, such as rubber or Bakelite, supported on a bracket I9, on the bottom of the box 9, and held in place by a bolt 20. Set in said member I8, are four contact points, 2I, 22, 23 and 24, having terminals for wires at 2|, 22, 23' and 24', said wires being extended to and connected with three terminals, as 25, 26 and 21, the wire from contact point 24 is carried back to contact 2|, as indicated in Figs. 2 and 5, for a purpose hereinafter again referred to. From the three terminals 25, 2'6 and 21, on the box, wires 25', 26' and 21' are extended to three solenoids, as 28, 29 and 30, indicated in the diagrammatic view, Fig. 5, which are in the door chimes housing II, for striking the three tubular chimes, 6, 1 and 8.

The wires from the solenoid I2, are designated 3| and 32, Fig. 2, and connect with terminals 33 and 34 in the box 9, with wires 35 and 36 leading to a front door button or switch, designated 31, and thence to a transformer, designated 38, with another wire 39 leading to a rear door button or switch, designated 40, and thence connected at 42 with the wire 25' to chime solenoid 29, as seen in Fig. 5. The circuit wires from said solenoids 28, 29 and 30, designated 28', 29' and 30' are connected with a circuit wire 4 I, through a resistance 43, with the circuit wire 38, as seen in Fig. 5.

Mounted in the inside of the box 9, by means of a pivot bolt 44, is a movable lever 45, having at its free end an angle part 46, positioned so that as the plunger 13, and the projecting contact pin I? are withdrawn by the spring 14, said contact pin H is moved slowly over the contact points 2!, 22, 23 and 24, in the member l8. The end of the spring It, being inserted into the plunger, as at #5, tends to give a certain yielding tension to said plunger which operates to hold said contact pin H yieldingly down on the member 18,

When the solenoid I2 is energized, the plunger [3 is drawn thereinto, and the contact pin I1, instead of engaging the contact points 2|, 22, 23 and 24, rides over them upon the angle lip or bridge 46, this movement being rather quick, but when the button is released and the solenoid I2 is deenergized, the plunger is moved slowly outwardly and the contact pin l1 successively engages said contact points, moving under and lifting said lever 45 sufficiently to pass thereunder.

An important feature of the invention is the fact that the mechanism within the box 9 is submerged in oil, or other suitable liquid. I have provided a flexible piece of leather 41, anchored at one end by means of a metal L-shaped member 48, bolted to the end of the box by a bolt 49, with the free end of said leather 4'! arched over and resting against the open end of the tubular member l2 in the solenoid l2, whereby it acts as a valve over said end.

The plunger (3 fits the tubular member 12 of the solenoid 12 so as to permit leakage of the oil therebetween, so that when the solenoid I2 is energized and the plunger I3 is drawn into it, oil in said tubular member [2" is forced out past said flexible valve member 41, bulging it as in- 1 dicated in light broken lines. The plunger 13 is closed at its outer end and would be filled with oil. As the plunger is moved to the right by the tension of the spring [4 thereon, the valve member 41 closes over the open end of the tubular member l2 and said plunger then must move slowly as the oil leaks into the solenoid between the plunger l3 and the tubular member I2. This provides for a retarded movement of the plunger #3 and its contact pin l1 outwardly, said contact pin owing to the fact that the spring M is nearly spent in its return resiliency.

It will be understood, of course, that any arrangement and spacing and even connections can be made to said contact points for the purpose of varying the type of sound given by the chimes, as may be desired.

It is believed that the circuits are clear and can be easily traced on Fig. 5. When either front or back door switch 31 or 40, are closed, the solenoid I2 is energized and the plunger I3 is drawn thereinto, the contact pin IT riding above the contact points 21, 22, 23 and 24 on the ledge or angle part 46 of the lever 45. As the plunger moves outwardly again slowly, by reason of the oil leakage around the plunger, said plunger pin l! contacts points 2|, 22, 23 and 24, completing circuits which successively energizes the solenoids 29, 28, 30 and 29, striking chimes 1, 6, 8 and I, as before referred to.

I claim:

1. In a circuit control mechanism, a liquid tight case, a plurality of fixed contacts therein with circuit connections thereto, a solenoid with a tubular center, a plunger operable in said solenoid and having a contact element thereon to successively move upon said fixed contacts to successively complete circuits, a spring for moving said plunger in one direction when the solenoid is deenergized. and a liquid of oil consistency in said case submerging said solenoid, plunger and fixed contacts, and a valve element operating to close the open end of said solenoid as said plunger moves outward, whereby to retard the movement of said solenoid and contact element over said fixed contacts.

2. A circuit control mechanism including a liquid tight case, a plurality of fixed contacts therein with circuits therefrom, a solenoid in said case having a tubular center open at both ends and extended at one end outside of said solenoid, a plunger moving in said tubular center and having a contact element on its end to move over said fixed contacts, a spring over said plunger and the extension of said extended tubular center for moving said plunger outwardly from said solenoid when the solenoid is deenergized, a flexible valve element over the open end of said tubular center for closing the same as said plunger moves out at the other end thereof, and a liquid in said case submerging said solenoid, plunger and contact element, said liquid operating to retard the movement of said plunger and said contact element over said fixed contacts when said solenoid is deenergized.

WELDON W. BETZ. 

